Events Understood
by TheAngelofFate
Summary: True forgiveness has to not only be earned but also understood by the person who's been scorned. The incident that happened years ago still burns deep within the two of them. Mostly Stanford. Though the Pines brothers need to reconcile with each other. Let's watch them do just that shall we? {no slash} Please R&R


AN: I can't get the new episode out of my head! Stanford is awesome and I already love him as much as I do Stanley! J.K. Simmons playing is also extra amazing! Anyway since I actually know the backstory now. I'm going to be writing a proper fanfic about the Pines brothers.

Though I'm contemplating if I should take down my other Gravity Falls story since that one isn't canon. Idk.

Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

 _"Stanley? What happened?"_

 _A sniff came from underneath the blankets of the bottom bunk they shared. Even though they were both 14 years old. They still shared twin beds. "I-I don't wanna talk about it!"_

 _The bed dented indicating someone had taken their place next to the bulgy lumpy sheets. Slowly a six fingered hand gently placed itself on top and gave the person in between those covers a few comforting pats._

 _"Talking might help you feel better. It always does." The voice was gentle and reassuring._

 _Another sniff, almost sounded like a sob of some sort. "Ford? Do you think I'm— stupid?" The question itself threw the other twin off for a second._

 _"You know how to scrambled meat perfectly fine—"_

 _"_ _ **Stanford!**_ _"_

 _A chuckled filled the air. "I'm just kidding, Stan. Of **course** I don't think your stupid. You have your own smarts. You know how to fix up a car, you know how to cook, and you're insanely creative. You're not stupid in the least. Why?" _

_The ball shifted in the blankets. "Crampelter." The older brother said simply. Eyes narrowed at the mention of that name._ _ **Crampelter**_ _. That guy has been bulling the two of them since they were old enough to walk. Why? Neither of them had no idea._

 _Moving closer to the other. An arm draped over him. "What did he say?"_

 _"...Said that dad was ashamed of me that I wasn't as smart as you, and that when you grow up you're going to leave me all alone." A pause, lasting only a few seconds. "Ford? I don't want to be all alone." The voice as muffled as it was, was still sad and full of possible fear. The six fingered hand grasped the covers and pulled them away, revealing the bulky 14 year old curled in a ball._

 _Stanford smiled. And placed his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Don't worry, Stanley. The two of us will always be remain close and side by side."_

 _Hopeful brown eyes met identical, gentle brown ones as Stanley sat up. "Really?"_

 _Ford nodded. "Yeah! Remember? Hunt for treasure, get all the girls, and—"_

 _"Be an unstoppable—"_

 _"Team—"_

 _"Of adventurers—" The two said in unison, while laughter filled the air. Stanford placed his forehead against his twins and grinned._

 _"Ya promise, Ford?"_

 _"I promise."_

Stanley blinked away the dream as he wake up from his two hour nap in his office. Two weeks have passed since the events with the portal at the almost global destruction of the entire world.

Two weeks since the author of the journals came back to his dimension after 30 years.

During that time, the two Pines brothers hardly spoke a word to each other and when they did it would always end in a fight, mostly verbally, though on occasion some punches were thrown, some missed and some didn't.

It wasn't that Lee liked fighting with his twin. He didn't, never did. After all, look at all he did to get him back, fighting and being angry with Stanford was the last thing he had wanted. But his twin was being so damn difficult and stubborn that he couldn't help but yell at him whenever Ford did. He knew that Ford was pissed at him, he understood that, _God knows I probably deserves it._ Lee thought to himself as he leaned back against his office chair and rubbed his exhausted eyes.

Doesn't he deserve a chance to make peace with his twin? _After all those years of sleepless nights and guilt, I deserve to be able to talk with Ford and not have it end with one of us throwing punches._

But Stanford never gave him that opportunity. When he wasn't face to face with Lee arguing with him. He was down in the basement trying to make sure nothing evil had followed him out of the portal when he had stepped through it. True to his word Stanford kept his end of their deal and tried his best to stay away from Dipper and Mabel. Mostly his younger brother avoided their nephew, who was the most eager to talk him and learn everything he could about their weird town.

 ** _"I promise."_** His brother had said. That they'd always be close and always together.

 _Yeah, right. You're a liar, Stanford._

* * *

"Boohoo and your journal obessive life's work. Did you ever stop and think that what happened 30 years ago was an accident!?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Stanley. You're intentions were crystal clear."

"You don't know what your talking about!"

" _Just_ like they were with my collage."

"Ooooh! So we're back to _that_ , are we?"

"ENOUGH!" A feminine voice shouted out, causing the two Pines brothers to jump and gaze down at their niece Mabel, who looked livid with annoyance. "I've had it with your guys constant fighting. What is wrong with the two of you!? You're brothers, _family_ , shouldn't that count for something!?" Stanley looked ashamed of himself while Stanford just stared at the floor, face expressionless.

Then abruptly the twelve year old kicked the men in the knee causing the two of them to going tumbling into Stanford's bedroom, before they could pick themselves up, Mabel locked the door.

"Mabel!" Lee called out as he started pounding on the door. "Open up the door."

"No!" The twelve year old exclaimed. "You aren't coming out until you've become nice bro-bros with one another again!" Neither Pines brother was strong enough to break down such a solid wooden door. That would end up with one of them with either a broken foot or back. They were stuck, plain and simple.

Sighing heavily, Lee took a set on the edge of his brother's long couch. Stanford on the other hand sat the farthest away. Stanley rolled his eyes in frustration. Whatever, if his twin wanted a be an ungrateful jerk after one little mistake, then _fine_. It's not like Stanley cared. Nope, he didn't care that Stanford would hate him forever, that he seriously might kick him out of the Shack after the summer was over, that they will never be like they use to, never be the Pines brothers again. Lee's eyes narrowed to the floor and his chest ached— No, he didn't care _one_ bit.

He glanced at Ford from time to time. Opening his mouth in attempted to start some type of conversation, never was one for awkward silences. But he always closed it at the last minute. When in the hell had this become so hard!? He adjusted the glasses on his face, then froze as he fully realized that his family _knew_ the truth about everything he's done for the past 30 years.

Lee didn't need to use Ford's old glasses he wore when they were kids. No, but he had choose to wear them to fully immerse himself into the role of playing the younger man. Sure, Stanley kept _his_ goofy personality but he made sure to try his hardest to be a good substitute until he got the real Stanford Pines back.

He chuckled to himself, it was because of doing that for a long while that he hadn't notice that he actually needed them to see when he took them off to work on the portal and had found that everything was blurrier then he was use too. He hadn't liked finding that out, having kicked over a stack of books knowing that if he got any older then he wouldn't be able to bring his brother back, because Lee would long be dead by then.

 _If I can talk with Lazy Susan for an hour then it shouldn't be that hard for me to talk to my own brother._ He thought to himself. Yeah, he could do this.

"—Hey, remember that one Halloween when you and I dressed up as iconic heroes we thought were just like us?" Lee knew the question was random, but it was the first thing that popped into his head. Random as it was, it got Stanford to turn his head towards him a bit. Stanley grinned, _his interest is peaked_.

"Remember? You were a mad scientist Doctor LaQuack—"

"—And you were the TV boxing champion Sir Death McDie." Stanford finished as he saw a ghost of a smile appear on his brother's face. "We were seven and I remember convincing you to walk inside a haunted house with me."

He scooted closer to Ford as he watched his twins face get that look of nostalgia. "Remember I got lost in that place for two hours—"

"—And I ended up finding you curled up inside a sarcophagus with your hands over your face."

"Hey, now I was a scared 7 year old trapped in a place with creepy zombies, witches and skeletons, of _course_ I was gonna go hide."

Ford let out something that sounded like a snicker. "You were petrified, I had to blind fold you with my tie I had around my neck and lead you out with my hand on your shoulders.— And you said _I_ was being a baby when I thought those porcelain dolls at the gift shop were scary."

They laughed in unison like they had done when Stanford said that he looked like their father. Sure it was like walking on egg shells with his brother, and yeah it wasn't the relationship that he wanted. But when they had these moments, where it was just the two of them reminiscing and sharing a few chuckles. It made everything he had gone through worth it.

"Ah, good times."

Stanford hummed in agreement. Lee inhaled slowly and exhaled it just the same. "Ya know, Ford. About the science fair project— I didn't purposefully break it, you know that right? Sure, I was upset that I might lose you to some snot-nose college but I would never have broken your project intentionally. It really was an accident. I regretted what I did the second I did it."

 _Among other things._ Lee thought as he hoped he could finally reached Stanford and have him hear him out for once. "I knew how much time you worked on that thing, I remember helping you collect the parts you needed to build it. _If_ you had gotten in that school I would have sucked it up and dealt with my only friend moving away, because— Well, at least one of us would have gotten out of Glass Shard Beach."

Ford stayed silent, as he looked at the floor.

That made Stanley nervous and when he was nervous he tended to blurt out word vomit. "A-And besides, if that hadn't happened then you never would have come to Gravity Falls and made the journals." He laughed as he laid a hand on his younger twins shoulder.

The author of the journals shook it off immediately and stood up from the couch. "Do you think this is a joke, Stan?" His brown eyes blazing with anger. "Do you think it's funny to laugh after what you put me through!?"

Lee's eyes widened in shock the tone of voice Ford used. "Stanford—"

"I've been to hell and back when I was in that portal. My 'Sci-Fi, side burns deminson' was nothing but war, burning buildings, men with laser guns, monsters at every turn. I had to deal with Bill Cipher and his illusions constantly. Making me question my own sanity. I saw friends I had made in that dimension _die_ in  horrible ways. and it's your fault!"

Immediate anger boiled in him. As well as guilt for putting Stanford through so much torment. "Wait a minute!" He stated loudly as he stood up and faced Ford. "How is it my fault!?"

"If you had just _listened_ to me when I told you to take Journal #1 far away then I wouldn't have been sucked inside my own creation. You just had to be so incredibly stupid didn't you!?"

Hurt flashed in his eyes.

 _Stupid..._

 _ **"Of** course **I don't think your stupid. You have your own smarts. You know how to fix up a car, you know how to cook, and you're insanely creative. You're not stupid in the least."**_

No, he didn't mean that, did he? He couldn't have possibly have meant what he had just said? But the piecing look on Ford's eyes said that he had believed what he stated 100%.

"Well, you shouldn't have made the _damn_ thing. If you hadn't then none of this would have happened. You want someone to blame for all the shit you went through—" He knew that he was adding fuel to the fire, but he couldn't help it. "—How about you blame _yourself_."

Suddenly he was being pushed, getting caught off guard Lee had no time to react and catch himself. Falling backward he felt a sharp pain go through his back, he cried out and was nothing but crumpled heap on the floor as he caused something made of glass to go crashing to the floor with deafening noise. He groaned and clinched his right shoulder as it burned. _W-What the hell?_ Why was this suddenly hurting? Did he accidentally cut his burn mark or something?

The door flew open. And in popped in Dipper, Mabel and Soos. "What's going on— Grunkle Stan?"

"Mr. Pines, what's wrong?"

Stan winced as Soos and Dipper tried to touch him.

"You just can't keep your big mouth shut, can you Stanley!?" Turning his gaze to Stanley, he glared at him.

"And you can't keep your _stupid_ obsession from putting our family in danger! You and your darn research!"

Stanford's turned red from his anger. But decided that it want best to not act upon it with his niece and nephew around. Turning on his heels, he quickly left the room. Stanley watched his brother go as he rubbed his shoulder while it continued to ache.

"Grunkle Stan?" Mabel's voice was sad but trying to be reassuring. "Whatever Grunkle Ford said to you— he didn't mean it. You two are twins, right? You'll work it out."

Let sighed and placed a hand on top of Mabel's head and stood up. "I'm sorry, sweetie. But he did."

* * *

Stanford hated conflict. What he went through in the portal made him a pacifist who hated warfare and any tiny argument. So then why couldn't he stop fighting with his brother? The answer? For the first time in his life he had absolutely no idea.

Ford let out an annoyed groaned as he stared at his journals.

 _Stanley has no idea what I've gone through. He doesn't know suffering until he's goes through what I had to endure. And the nerve of him, taking my name and turning my house into a tourist attraction._ Ford thought, his head letting him think rationally, logically. And yet, his heart —as corny as it sounded— told him to listen and let Lee talk.

Things couldn't go on like this. If they did, the end result was going to be with one of them having to sleep outside. He had questions that he needed answered. Should he stop his research and leave Gravity Falls and its mysteries alone, even though it's his life's work? Should he even bother to get closer to Dipper and Mabel, even if doing so would put them in danger? Should he forgive Stanley and his past wrongs, despite them still hurting him down deep?

"I need to talk to someone." Ford whispered. He truly did, and it had to be family. But it couldn't be his niece or nephew. No, they were too young to understand what he was going through. And he couldn't talk directly to Stan, that would just end up in a fight. So who else could he talk to without them thinking he was crazy?

Ford glanced at the cell phone Stan's employee Wendy had given him to help him to more 'in tune' with the modern world, whatever that meant. Could it possibly be that easy? Picking it up, he dialed the number he still couldn't believe he's remembered all these years.

Riiing Riiiing.

 _"Hello?"_

"Sherman?"

 _"Ford? Is that really you, Stanford?"_

Sherman sounded older then the last time he had talk to him. Which was over the phone when his brother was only 8 years old. It's been so long. Shermy would be what, in his 40's now?

"Yes, it's me. How're you doing, Shermy?"

 _"I'm doing alright. It's been a couple months since I talked to you, Ford. How are you going? How are my grandkids doing?"_

 _Right, he thinks I'm— and that Stanley's—_

"Listen, Sherman. I know this is going to sound crazy but please hear me out until the end and then you can make your judgement, okay?"

The voice on the other end was hesitant. _"Alright, Ford. I'm all ears."_ And so he told his younger brother, told him _everything_. When he was done, Stanford waited on bated breathe to hear his brother's reaction to his tale. What he got, in fact, wasn't what he had been expecting.

 _"I always knew there was something fishing about the way Lee supposedly died."_

Stanford blinked several times as he tried to get out of his state of shock. "So you knew something wasn't right? This whole time, about Stanley?"

 _"I knew that I didn't really believe the accident that mom and dad told me about the day it happened. Though I never knew him well, Stanley just didn't seem like the type of person to die in a simple car wreck. I also thought it was strange when your personality went from: Polite and nerdy. To slightly rude and tricker-rish."_ Hmm, the Pines men were equally as smart.

"So what do you think about it all?" Wanting to hear someone else's opinion before his own.

 _"I think it's great that Stanley's alive! If know that mom and dad were still around I'm pretty sure mom would be over the moon and dad would be happy though he'd never admit!"_ As right as Ford thought Sherman was about where their parents concern of Stanley. He didn't technically answer his question. What did he think about everything else?

"What should I do about Stan?"

 _"I think you should forgive him."_

Stanford scoffed in disbelief at how easily it was for Shermy to make such a statement. No way it was that easy, maybe for some. But not for Ford, he's seen and done too much. "Did you not hear anything I just told you, Sherman? About my project to get into collage, and then him being the reason I was trapped in my own creation for 30 years?"

 _"Yes, I heard you loud and clear, Stanford. But I still think you should forgive him—"_

"Why!?" He asked frustratingly. He wanted to know just _why_ he should forgive the very man that ruined his life.

 _"Let me explain, first with your science project, okay? From what you told me and combined with the story dad told me when I had asked years ago. It looks as though Stanley had done it purposefully, because he was angry, but to me it just sounds like a complete accident. Think about it, Stanford. Had Lee ever done you wrong before that? Had he ever given you a reason to think he would do something that horrible on purpose?"_

Ford opened his mouth the closed. At a loss for words for once. No, Lee had never, in all the time they had been together when they were young, ever done him wrong.

" _Exactly. Now about the portal incident. I actually think it's both your guys faults for letting your bitterness towards something so small fester and grow. The minute you let Stanley inside your house it was like walking into a war zone. 10 years of pent up emotions exploded when you asked Stanley to leave with your journal. If you were in Lee's position, feeling so hopeful that you might be close with your brother again, only to be shot down and told to get away. What would you have done?"_

Again, Stanford couldn't think of anything to say. When did the youngest Pines brother become so smart at looking at the bigger picture? Silence pass between the two. It lasted for a few minutes.

 _"Stanford? You still with me?"_

"...Yeah, I'm still here."

 _"So what are you going to do?"_ At his brother's question, Ford took his glasses off and rubbed a callous hand down his face. "I don't know. It's not like I can walk up and talk with him about something like this, I wouldn't know where to start."

 _"Don't you think you should at least try and understand where he's coming from and what he's been feeling?"_

 _I guess... It wouldn't hurt to try._ Opening Journal #2 he flipped to page 88. And he knew just the incantation to do just that. "Thanks for talking with me, Sherman. You really helped me out a lot."

Laughter was heard on the other side of the phone. _"Hey, man. that's what family's for. I'm glad you **both** are doing alright, Ford. Talk to you later?" _

"Me too. And yeah, I'd like that. I think Stanley would too."

Stanford then hung up.

* * *

It was a simple spell, really. He had found it years ago while investigating a cavern looking for more contant for his journals. And had stumbled upon it by accident. The spell allowed the user to see a persons memories by holding a photo of the person in both hands and saying the incantation in front of a fire. Which was exactly what he was doing. He had no idea what he was even looking for, Or what he even wanted to see but for whatever reason Ford was still going through with this.

That enough, made him recite the incantation:

 _videre memoria_

 _totum videre_

 _ex hoc personae mens_

 _motus videre culpa, timor, tristitia_

 _ut molior ego in hunc fúgite._

The wind swirled in the trees as the spell began to take affect on his eyes, blinking several times as the strange sensation made him feel extremely dizzy, The spell darken the forest to where it was nothing more but a black void of nothingness. If Ford had chosen to do this in the daylight, then the void would have been white instead of black, but he had chosen to do this at nighttime for the simple fact that he didn't want to be disturbed.

Everything stopped, the sounds of the wind, smells of the burning fire, Stanford couldn't even hear his own footsteps. It was done, the spell had worked.

Question was: What was he going to see?

 _I'm about to find out._ He thought warily, Ford waited for something to happen, but when four minutes passed by with nothing, he began to think he had done the spell wrong, that he possibly made a mistake.

Then laughter filled the darken voids corners. It was children's laughter, young, around nine years old or so. The laughter grew louder and more familiar then out of the blackness, small images of a younger version of Stanley and himself appeared out of then air.

 _" **Wait up!** " A small Ford called out to his brother._

 _" **Yeah, you should keep up!** " Stanley replied as he ran ahead of his nerdy looking twin._

 _" **I-I can keep up!** "_

Stanford gazed at them both, he remembered this day, he remembered everything about it. It was the day that Stanley and himself found the old shipwrecked boat in that old abandoned cave and renamed it the "Stan O' War."

He chuckled as he recalled they had both gotten sunburn from this adventure.

 _" **Whoa! This place is so creepy!** " His young self exclaimed in both excitement and fear. _

_Lee stepped inside the cave, casually. " **D**_ _ **on't worry, bro! Wherever we go, we go** together **.** "_

Ford found himself smiling as he watched the two tiny Stans write 'Stanley & Stanford Pines, on the cave wall, walking away happily shouting "Pines! Pines! Pines!" When was the time and day did he stop being that carefree and happy? Stanford had forgotten when the last time he'd even smiled.

Another memory appeared like a mist from the void. It was the boxing ring, Their first match. The ring and bleachers themselves manifested, Ford could easily make out himself buried in a book.

 _" **Why even try?** " _

Ford turned his head toward the boy who had Lee pinned on the ring floor. Stanley twitched in fear, not wanting to get hurt.

 _" **I'm going to mess you up, just like I did your freak of a** **brother**_ _ **.** "_ _Lee's eyes widened and immediately moved towards Ford's, who choose to remove his book from the front of his face, unwillingly showing his black eye._

Stanford cringed, remembering how much his eye hurt for at least two weeks after that.

 _Stanley gasped, then glared at the older boy._

" _ **No one does that to** my **little brother!** " He growled out through clinched teeth. Shifting himself, Lee drew his hand back. _

_" **LEFT HOOK!** " He cried out and watched in amazement as the boy tumbled to the floor._

His lips twisted in a smile. Ford had been so unbelievably proud of his brother that he had tackled his to the ground in a bear crushing hug, cheering loudly that he was the best.

During his time in the portal, memories such as these alluded him. They had always _been_ there, far back in the corners of his mind. He could only focus on the war that he was facing up against with his comrades and Cipher. He didn't have the time to remember good memories with his brother. Only the bad ones kept replaying in his head over and over again.

But— maybe he should've tried harder to keep these memories around. Maybe if he had then he wouldn't be so gosh damn parainod all the time.

The memory ended then, with the two Pines brothers fist bumping. But just like most things those memories faded away and the bad ones seemed to begin popping up and around Ford. Stanley getting run out of town by an angry mob of customers he had recently scammed. Ford scoffed, seeing that Lee's lying and cheating never stopped getting him in trouble.

Then he saw one that made him freeze in place. It was just a simple image, but it still surprised him enough to stay as still as a statue.

 _His brother was currently sleeping in the back of his StanleyMobile. To say he looked uncomfortable would have been an understatement, Lee looked down right frustrated sitting in something so small._

 _He was... homeless?_ This genuinely shocked him. When Stanley told his tale of being on the road after their father had kicked him out. The older twin failed to mention this little detail in his story. Or maybe he had done it on _purpose_ , for the sake of their niece and nephew not thinking any less of him seeing he had been homeless for ten years.

 _Lee suddenly jerked awake, his expression turning aggressive as he heard something hit his car, grabbing a baseball bat from the back seat he looked as though he was about to beat whoever made the sound. Stanley lowered the bat when he realized it was just a red squirrel._

 _Falling back against the drivers seat, he let out a huge sigh as he raised up a hand and pulled down the visor showing a picture of a younger Ford and Lee at the boxing ring with their father in the background. His twins expression turned sad and pained as he gazed at the photo, then turning on his side, he went back to sleep._

His own face faltered for a bit. Feeling sad for Stanley for the first time since he's been back home. Stanford had no idea his brother had been homeless, mostly because when he had contacted Lee back then to come to Gravity Falls, he had found him living in a motel, so he just assumed his twin had a wooden over his head.

Taking a deep breathe Ford closed his eyes, not knowing _why_ , but he felt like he knew what memory was going to come next. Just a feeling he had— he could explain it no matter how hard he tried.

And what had come, he was right— well partially.

The memory had been minutes after Stanford had went through the portal. He watched his brother pound on the machine and begged him to come back, pleading that he was sorry and hadn't meant what he said about everything.

 _" **STANFORD!** " _The voice echoed crossed the void and sent a shiver down his spin.

Then another faded in while the other faded out.

 _" **Shit! That's stings!** " Stanley cured out as he applied disinfectant on his burn mark, which was covered in blisters and sores._ As he treated the burn, Ford had the urge to go and assist him, knowing that his brother was never good at being thorough when it came to his wounds.

 _A rather swollen blister filled with gross puss and other nasty fluids suddenly popped, followed by three more, the eldest eyes widened in pure agony. Slamming his fist down on the table, bitting his lip so hard to keep from screaming, that he tasted iron. His body shook and jolted trying to ride out the pain. But it only kept increasing and wasn't going away._

His heart jumped into his throat as he watched his twenty eight year old brother struggle through the pain, while drenching in a cold sweat. Clinching his hands into fist, He forced himself to stand his ground, but knowing that he had caused that burn on his brother shoulder made it even harder to watch. Ford will admit this, no matter how angry he was at Lee. He still didn't like to see him injured, he didn't like to see anyone injured. That was just apart of his personality.

The next thing he saw was a wrench being thrown in his direction, impulsively Stanford stepped out of the way as it disappeared in the blackness. Turning his head he saw that he was still seeing the portal machine down in his basement.

 _Stanley was throwing tool after tool over his shoulders as he work feverishly on the thing that took his family away. Screwing in bolt and oiling it so that the lever would stick to the gears connecting it to portal as well as the console room. Finally the twenty eight year old stood up and swiped the sweat from his forehead._

 _" **Alright.** " Lee stated taking a deep breathe. " **Here we go.** " He stated as he grabbed the lever and pulled it to the left. The portal sparked to life for a few seconds, hell if even started to spin 6 inches, but just like all his other failed attempts before, the energy to it shut off and died. _

Ford could feel the frustration radiating of Lee. He could see why his twin was having a hard time activating the portal. Stanley had no idea how physics worked and his portal was like a car, it couldn't be started up again by a few twist with a screwdriver here and there. It took a huge amount of energy. Which was why it cause all those gravitational anomalies.

 _" **DAMMIT!** " _

Stanford jumped at the abrupt bellow, it startled him beyond belief. He looked over and witnessed Lee chucked his tool box clear a crossed the room, it hit the wall with a ear slitting _crash_. Causing the younger twin to wince at the noise.

 _Stan ran over to the portal and began punching with clinched fists. " **What do you want from me you fucking machine!? I've tried everything I can to get you up and running again! What do you and your creatures want!? Money? A limp? My damn** soul **!? What ever it is you can have it!** "_

His mouth hung ajar as he started at Lee. _I've— never seen him like this before._ And it was true, never in his whole life had he ever seen Stanley having a melt down.

 _The skin broke on his knuckles and they began to bleed. But he refused to stop. " **You can have anything! Just name it! Just—** Give **me my brother back!** " The punches stopped and he clinched the edge of the portal with his now bloody hands as his shoulders shook uncontrollably. _

_" **I know I messed up. I messed up with his science project. I didn't mean to break it, and I tried to put it back together, but I'm not like Ford! I didn't know how!"**_

 _His legs began to falter as repressed tears spilled from his eyes. " **I messed up with not listening to him about taking his damn journal and leavin. But I was just hurt that he was** using **me! He never wanted to truly see me and be like we use too!** " His voice trailed off as he slide on his rear end and gazed at the machine. "But **— I don't care about any of that anymore! I don't care what we had said before! I swear I'll never take him for granted ever again! All I want is my brother back! I don't want to lose him again!** " _

Something wet fell on Ford's cheeks. Lifting a hand up, he realized he was crying.

 _" **I know I'm stupid! I do nothing but mess up! The world would be better off without me, but that doesn't mean Ford has to suffer for my** stupidity **!** " Stan wrapped his arms around his legs and pulled his knees up against his forehead, and he started sobbing. _

"Oh Stanley—" He breathed out as his heart ached for the broken man before him, he reached a hand out in front of him, wanting to help, to give some comfort. Because he knew his brother hated that word. Had always hated it. Because he feared it was true. That he was, in fact, not smart in the least. Which wasn't true at all, Stanley was smart. Truly he was. Ford felt guilty, he had no idea that Lee had suffered so much emotional torture in these past years. The way Stanley had described it that it wasn't as bad as it truly was. That it wasn't that big of a deal. But it was, and he had no idea how Lee had survived it all by himself.

Finally, _finally_ he understood. He understood why his twin reactived the portal, why he lied about his life to everyone around him. It was because he just wanted Stanford back. He wanted them to rekindle their relationship to what it had been before the science fair. Even now after it only being two weeks since he's been back. Stanley still wants that. He wants to be the Dynamic Duo— The unstoppable adventurers again. He wanted to be able to tease or hug his brother without being afraid he was going to get punched in the face again.

That's all he wanted. It's all he ever did. Was that too much to ask?

 _No, it's not. And I should have realized it sooner._ He thought to himself as guilty tears ran down his face. He knew he had to apologize, he had to do it fast before Lee gave up on him completely.

He wiped away the tears with the back of his hand. And took in a deep breathe. As he said the incantation backwards.

 _Etigúf cnuh ni oge roilom tu_

 _Aititsirt romit, apluc, erediv, sutom_

 _Snem eanosrep coh xe_

 _Erediv mutot_

 _Airomem erediv_

Then everything went white.

* * *

Stanley yawned out as he scratched his back, took a sip of his coffee and flipped open the newspaper. Nothing but boring, uninteresting gossip that most likely wasn't even true. In this town, it wouldn't be very surprising.

"Grunkle Stan?"

He looked up from his paper and saw Mabel standing behind him. "What is it, sweetie?" Mabel rung hands between her pink sweater with the golden key, she for some reason has been washing and rewearing it for the past two weeks. And honestly it worried Stan, his niece has always had a different sweater on each day, rather that be a new or old, she never worn the same sweater twice let alone for two weeks. He's grown to know Mabel long enough to know when she was worried about something.

Mabel looked nervous. "I'm— I'm sort of... Worried—" She trailed off looking at the floor. Stan put his paper and coffee cup down and turned to face her fully. "Are—... Dipper and I going to turn out— like you and Grunkle Ford?"

Lee's expression turned to shock, his eyes widened at his niece's question and for a moment he just looked at her. That's what all this was about? That's what Mabel has been thinking about these past two weeks? She was afraid of her and Dipper's relationship turning into his and Fords? He smiled some what sadly. Raising his hand he ruffled her brown hair.

"Is that why you locked us in a room?"

Mabel gave Stan a look between embarrassed and guilty. "I want you guys to so badly get along. Because Dipper and I are so much like the two of you. You guys use to be best friends. And I thought that the more you kept fighting the more it would happened to me and Dipper."

Stanley sighed as he listened to Mabel explains her worries. "Kid, you and your brother aren't going to end up like Ford and I."

"But—" Mabel began but Lee cut her off.

"What happened between us was— tragic, but it can't be helped. But it's our know fault for letting it get that way." Did he wish it was different? Yes. Was he actually slightly jealous of his nephew and niece's relationship because it remained him so much of the one he use to share with Stanford? _Yes_. But there was nothing he could do about that, Ford made it clear he wanted nothing to do with him anymore. "It doesn't mean you two are going to turn out like us, your bond is stronger."

"Isn't there something we can do to fix everything?" The twevle years olds eyes looked sad and empathic.

"Something's can't be fixed, sweetie." Seeing that he wasn't doing a very good job at making her feel better— "But it's okay, _I'm_ okay with this, honest. You have nothing to worry about." Stanley gave Mabel a reassuring smile. "And even if you guys get into a fight, you'll make up. You always do."

His niece still looked scared, but talking to Stan had lessened that emotion quite a bit knowing that he believed that they will be alright and will remain close. She smiled at him and have him one of her signature Mabel squeeze his waist. "Thanks, Grunkle Stan!"

Lee chuckled, wrapped one arm around her and patted Mabel's back. "Anytime, kid. Now why don't you go change your sweater? Seeing the same one over again for the last couple of weeks has been worrying _me_." His niece seemed surprised by his statement, for she has never known him to be worrying about anything. She nodded franticly.

"Okay!" Mabel exclaimed and she ran up the stairs to her room. He laughed as he watched the twelve year old and her youthfulness bolt up the staircase. Turning back around, Stan immediately took a sip of his coffee and began reading his paper again. He wouldn't admit it aloud to _anyone_ , not even if they tortured him. But his heart ached, as it always did when he remembered why Ford was angry with him and what he had done to break their bond.

Suddenly the Gift Shop door down the hall from where he was burst open. "Stanley?" A voice that he immediately knew was Ford's called out.

He kept his back to the door as he answered. "What do ya want, Poindexter?" Trying to sound annoyed, and that he didn't care where the hell his brother has been for the past hour. He heard footsteps coming in his direction, he didn't know why but when he felt Ford's presence enter the room, his back and shoulders tensed, as though he was expecting to be immediately yelled at.

"Lee?"

He froze, it had been years since he's heard that old nickname. Turning only slightly, he glanced at Stanford, who was panting and hair look like it went through a tornado. _The hell happened to him?_ He thought curiously, most likely it was something supernatural. That realization made him glare at Ford. "I'm busy relaxing, I deserve some time to myself after all the hard work I do—"

A six fingered hand abruptly laid on his right shoulder, causing him to jump slightly. But he kept his back turned. Ford looked at the burn mark that was hidden behind his muscle shirt, not being able to help but remember just how his twin had gotten that in the first place, and how much of a struggle it was to treat it, so it didn't get infected.

His hand laid on that next. "Does it—" He trailed off. Not sure if he should say anything that might upset Lee further. "...Still hurt?" Lee's eyes widened as he heard his twins question. What surprised him wasn't the question itself, it was the soft tone in Ford's voice that through him off. It sounded as though the younger actually cared.

"Nah, the pain stopped a couple hours ago." He scoffed still having no idea why his burn began to hurt him so badly. Dipper had suggested that his mark has some residual energy from a traumatic event that happened when Ford had pushed him into the burning console. But he doubted it.

Ford's hand seemed to tightened a tad on his shoulder.

Stanley use to be able to tell what his twin was thinking in an instant. Now though he had no idea what was going to through that nerd's head. This made him want to place his own hand over his brother's, but he knew better then to do something like that, unless he wanted to get decked in the face again.

"Stan—" Stanford began but trailed off at the last minute. The elder twin rolled his eyes, this was becoming annoying.

"Spit it out already, Ford." His tone sounded exasperated. "I'm tired and you're givin me a headache—" His entire body stiffened when he felt Ford hug him from behind. This... This was— _new_. This was confusing. They weren't kids anymore, they were almost sixty year old for cryin out loud. And besides didn't Stanford hate him?

" _Lee_ —" The guilt in his twins voice was transparent. His arms tightened around the orders chest and he laid his face, glasses and all in the crook of his brother's neck. "I'm sorry. Everything that's happened between us— I'm so sorry." Ford's voice started cracking as tears he has long since shed in years pricked at his eyes. "I haven't been the best twin brother in a very long time. And I realize that now, forgive me. I know I shouldn't ask that of you... because of all you went through, with bringing me back and all. _But_ I can't stand to think of you hating me." As he ran here, Ford began to remember all the times Lee had been there for him, all the times they had been there for _each other_. And he couldn't believe that he let something so small get between the two of them.

A lump had grown in Lee's throat as he listened to his brother's tearful apology. Honestly having a hard time believing that this was actually happening. Closing his eyes he raised his arms and place them over Stanford's. "I always thought you hated me."

Ford shook his head franticly, as his arms tightened just an inch. "No! No, Lee. I never hated you. I was just hurt and angry, but I don't hate you, I could never hate the person who has always been there for me. _Never_!" Tears of joy slipped out of the corners of his closed eye lids.

This is what he had wanted from the very minute Ford stepped out of the portal, he wanted the both of them to just hug it out and... Be okay. He smiled through his tears, feeling truly happy for the first time in years, and all he needed was his twin back by his side.

"Ford— Everything I did back then... The science fair, breaking your project, not talking to you for ten years, pushing you into the portal—" He visibly cringed at the last part. "I spent 30 years rehearsing what I was going to say to you when I got you back. And all that I can say is... I'm sorry. I'm _sorry_." Lee found himself repeating those two words over and over as the wall that he kept up for such a long time, now starting cracking and exposing the broken man behind it.

Hands gripped his shoulders and swung him around like Stanley wasn't even a fifty eight year old man. Lee looked at his brother's tear strickened face that matched his own. Those hand rested on his cheeks. " _Lee_ , it's okay—Listen to me, it's okay." Ford said gently giving his twin a reassuring smile.

"I forgive you."

His breathe caught in his throat at that short sentence. Just like that— The wall crumbled down into a heaping pile of rubble. Huge tears cascaded down his wrinkled cheeks. His arms went around Stanford's body. Never did he think he'd still be alive to ever hear those words from his other half. Once or twice he thought that the only Lee could, that when the two meant in the afterlife.

He grasped the back of his brother's clothing. "Ford! S-Stanford! I'm sorry!" He sobbed out feeling like he was six years old again. "I missed you, Ford. God almighty, I missed you!"

Ford returned the embrace just as fiercely. "I missed you too. I realize now just how _much_." His heart ached with a combination of his own pain and the raw exposed pain of Stanley's. "I wish I could have done better, by you. Been a better man. Forgive me?"

"Already did. You don't even need to ask."

Silence passed between them.

"Hey, Stanley?"

"Hmm?" Lee grunted back happily.

"I think the two of us need to put some hours into go seeing Sherman from time to time."

The elder gave the younger a confused look. "Huh? What brought that up, Poindexter?"

"Because I talked to him earlier in the basement and if it wasn't for him in putting the thought in my head, I never would have forgiven you." Stanley's eyes widened. He nodded franticly. "Oh yeah, we need to spend some time with him. Absolutely."

Laughter bubbled through the room as they stayed wrapped in each other's arms for a good ten minutes. Neither ever wanting to let go of the other ever again. Fearing that one of them might disappear like last time. But eventually they pulled apart with childish smile on their old faces. "Ford, I know you said when the summer was over that I had to leave—"

"..I've made up my mind, Stan."

His face fell.

"When the summer is over and the kids go back home—" Standord paused as he couldn't help the grin that formed on his face. "How's about you and I close up the Mystery Shack for a few months and go sailing?"

Lee's mouth plopped open. Had he just heard him right? "Really?"

Ford nodded as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, just you, me, the Stan O' War and the open sea. What do you think?"

Suddenly he felt himself being jerked forward as the eldest brother placed his forehead against the youngest. "You kiddin me, you giant geek!? I think it's the best idea I've ever heard!" Stanley cheered loudly as a grinned spread a crossed his face and lite up his eyes.

Stanford joined his brother with a few chuckles and a grin of his own as he rested a hand on the nape of his twin's neck.

 _Click!_

 _Flash!_

"I'M PUTTING THIS PHOTO IN MY SCRAPBOOK!"

The Pines brother jumped about ten feet in the air as they looked at the door way and saw Mabel standing their holding a camera and a photo in her hands, now wearing a red sweater with a golden claw and six fingered hand, she was beaming from ear to ear. Behind her stood: Soos, Dipper, and Wendy who also looked please to see the Pines brothers finally getting along.

Their niece started jumping up and down in pure delight. "Everything is _**right**_ with the world again!"

Stanley and Stanford gazed at the twelve year old, looked at each other. Then started cracking up. They laughed in unison and it was so contagious that it got the rest of occupants in the room to join in.

Stanford's wrapped an arm around Lee's shoulder and leaned his full weight up into him, laying the side of his head against his brother, he grasped his stomach as it began aching from how hard he was laughing. Stanley, who was also having trouble catching his breathe, mimicked his brother and placed his own arm around Stanford's and ruffled his twin's strangely tidy, gray hair, making it frizzy and stand up by itself, as he gave his other half a one-armed crushing squeeze.

The two preteens, the red haired teenager and the hamster looking man-child, gazed at the sight for a few moments, then quietly walked out to let the two brothers bask in the moment that seemed to transport them back to the days when they were just goofy children that wanted nothing more the to go sailing with the one another.

* * *

AN: Aaaand... DONE! *falls back against bed and cheers in relief and utter exhaustion.* Good Lordy Lou, I didn't. I shit you all not. Mean for this Gravity Falls fanfic to be this long. I wasn't! It was suppose to be a simple one-shot after the events of "Tale of Two Stans" and that's exactly what it is. IT'S JUST SO LONG! And it took me so long to write, almost two weeks. At first I was going to make it a multi-chapter once I saw how long it was getting. But honestly I was lazy and didn't want to work on cutting it into sections.

Yeah, anyway here you all go, a nice long one-shot about Stanley and Stanford. I'm planning on writing another one. But _**hopefully**_ it won't be as long.

So a penny for your thoughts? Please leave them in a lengthy review on what you thought (and I apologize that it's really long) and I'll see you all soon.


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